What stands out immediately is that the preorder figures are much higher for PS4 overall than Xbox One. As loy310 points out in the comments of that article, "Total PS4 software pre orders = 1,216,365 Total XBO software pre orders = 811,295. PS4 above XBO by 405,070 or 50%."

This is the first obvious change going in to the next generation. Just look at the Call of Duty numbers. 240,090 on PS4 vs 229,628 on X1. That's bananas! Call of Duty games never sell better on Playstation than Xbox, in part due to Microsoft's much stronger and stabler online infrastructure and partly because all the map packs release on 360 first. That PS4 numbers are higher than X1 shows people's faith in Sony's new online system (even if they have to pay for it now) and it certainly levels the battleground between the two consoles.

If you wanna see more games like Knack, make sure you support it!

However, it's a shame to see shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield topping the lists. These games will probably be lots of fun to play, don't get me wrong, but I feel a bit sad seeing Knack sat at roughly a sixth of the numbers of the top 3 (all shooters). I have to point out, reading that made me realise that my own preorder for PS4 is coming with Killzone and not Knack so I am myself contributing to the figures I'm dismayed to see. I'll be sure to go preorder Knack asap!

This isn't surprising of course, Knack is a new IP, it's kid-friendly and cartoony and has been branded with that most horrifying of words to gamers, 'Casual'. Still, it's a shame that what Sony are pushing as one of the core games of the launch line-up is getting lost among the crowd.

With it's new focus on indie games, I was hoping to see more unique titles amongst the best sellers lists but maybe that will come in time. Hell, getting a new console is a period of change and you know what people are like with change. Maybe they just want to stick to something familiar.

If it's explosions and tanks you're after, don't rule out Knack yet.

What a lot of people are picking up on is that Knack is sat at 40,982 copies preordered while Titanfall, one of Microsoft's most hyped console exclusives, is only sitting at 27,956. On the surface, this looks bad for the team in green but you have to remember Knack is a launch title whereas Titanfall is penciled in for Q2 2014. It's only natural for a game launching with the console to push more numbers than a game releasing months later.

One last point of note is exclusives. Sony's highest preordered exclusive is Killzone: Shadow Fall, coming in at number 3 for that platform with 221,710 copies. On Xbox One, you have to look down to number 5 to find the first exclusive, Dead Rising 3, sitting at a comparatively paltry 61,254. On first glance, this suggests that same as always, Sony fans are more focused on the unique experiences exclusive to their console, while Xbox fans are all about the big, AAA, multiplatform titles.

Xbox fans are desperate for their exclusives!

However, out of the top 10 for each platform, Sony only have 2 console exclusives, while Microsoft have 4. Is this a result of Microsoft's new push for exclusive titles on it's platform? With the multiplatform games tipping in favor of Sony, maybe this is a smart move on Microsoft's behalf.

That's all for now folks. Remember these numbers aren't wholly reliable and my analysis is even less so but those are my two cents. It's certainly interesting to see multiplatform titles performing better on Playstation which will hopefully bridge the gap we saw this generation. However, this list shows that preferences haven't changed and people will always flock to shooty muddy bang bang games over cartoony platformers. A shame, but people like what the like I guess.

The beginning of a new console cycle is a fantastic time for new IP's. They have space to spread their wings and hopefully find a strong following while there are relatively fewer games to compete with. Heck, look at Lost Planet this generation. The other grace of a new generation is the opportunity it provides to old franchises to aim for heights that were unreachable on the last round of tech.

Here are five franchises I'd love to see on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, focusing on ones that haven't really been announced (hinted at is fine) and why I can't wait for them.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION SEQUEL (Multi)

I'm pretty late to the party but I just finished Red Dead Redemption last week. I burned out in Mexico when I first played it but I was determined to finish what I think was one of the best games of the generation. With GTA V just around the corner, we can already see improvements in the open world hunting mechanics over Red Dead and imagine what Rockstar will be capable of on much mroe powerful hardware. The game was already beautiful but repeating textures and repetitive models were certainly noticeable. Given the power of new hardware, the Wild West could look better than ever. Imagine the Ultra Realistic GTA IV mod, combined with RAGE's texture generator and tell me that doesn't get you excited.

My biggest issue with Redemption was the bugs. New hardware isn't going to fix that any time soon and yeah, a lot of the glitches make the game even better (horse-faced lady and flying wagons were incredible) but anyone who played to the game's ending knows what an impactful moment is waiting for you. Except for me. The game glitched and the moment was kind of ruined. Open world games will always have their bugs but I'd like to see a sequel to this with more fine tuning, and hopefully better memory and processors and whatnot (I know nothing about the tech behind these consoles...) will reduce the number of these bugs.

Red Dead Redemption was a fairly comprehensive combination of everything you could want from a Wild West game so instead of striving to pack even more content in there, I'd love to see Rockstar focus on telling a tighter narrative, with less random quests. At times in Redemption you can feel like little more than an errand boy, forgetting the true purpose of your struggle, so hopefully any future games would provide a more cohesive narrative.

JADE EMPIRE 2 (Multi/Xbox One)

I go on about Jade Empire a lot. Playing my Xbox original, sure there was a lot of time spent with Halo 2 and Fable but Jade Empire was my personal game of the system. Bioware did what they do best and set it in Ancient China, filling the world with an incredible amount of lore and myth that made the place feel alive. We were deprived of a sequel this generation (not that I'm complaining, the Mass Effect series is pretty much cemented in my list of favourite games) and I couldn't hope for anything more than a true sequel to that stunning first game on the next gen.

Of course, I'd love to see it on both platforms but with the original launching on Xbox exclusively to start with, Microsoft could look to much worse places for a system selling console exclusive than here. On the first outing, Bioware crafted a world so full of lore and love that it would be easy for them to find a new conflict in the universe to explore. The combat system was solid and fun, so not much needs to change there but really, there aren't enough games focused on this kind of setting and it's a shame because it's a goldmine for level and character design.

PERSONA 5 (Multi)

Persona 4 Golden was my first taste of Atlus's beloved franchise. I've no doubt I'm in the same boat as everyone else who played the game in saying I'm desperate for more. Persona 4 originally released on PS2 way at the end of the console's life cycle, after the PS3 had already launched. The re-release on PS Vita has breathed new life into the game, but though Persona 5 has been hinted at we've never had any official word on the project. By this point, the fact we haven't heard anything at all suggests that it's not long for current gen. One can only hope that we'll see it on PS4 and Xbox One. With Atlus' financial troubles, everything is up in the air but fingers crossed.

Persona 4's strength is it's cast of likeable and relatable main characters. Combine this with deep RPG gameplay and an interesting story and you have a recipe for success. The generation was lacking on some really fantastic JRPG's and a new Persona game would certainly fill that gap. Persona has a lot of positive mindshare with Sony fanboy's right now after the release of one of Vita's strongest games, so why not capitalize on this renewed popularity and get going on a sequel to this amazing franchise?

PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE 2 (PS4)

Some games aren't perfect when they first come out. It can be hard for a new developer to knock it out of the park on their first bat. Superbot did a great job on Playstation All-Stars, making a pretty solid and fun party game in which me and my flatmates spent more than a couple of great nights spent beating the living crap out of each other's Playstation characters (except the cheap ass who always picked Raiden...) However, it had it's limitations and it didn't push remarkable numbers upon release.

But hindsight is 20/20 and given the chance to make a sequel, I think we could see something special. Something that could grow into a worthy competitor for Smash Bros. Smash Bros wasn't perfect on N64, it was the Gamecube sequel that really hit the series' stride. With time, feedback and support the rough gem of a game here could have been polished up into a core franchise for Sony. Now they've cut all ties with Superbot Entertainment who are supposedly working on a new IP and Sony is left with what looks like a failure.

With any luck, they will see the promise hidden in the game and listen to the feedback from all the people who played it and maybe next generation Sony will have the party game to beat.

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU 2 (WiiU)

Few games are lucky enough to boast such an ardent fan base after only a single entry in a franchise. The World Ends With You is one of the best games on the original DS. That's big praise considering the DS has one of the best line-up of games we've seen on any console ever (just my opinion, but one I think a lot of people share). It's unique combat system, quirky art style and gripping concept worked together to make this a game you wouldn't forget quickly. Unless your Square Enix that is.

Fans have been clamoring for a sequel for years. They thought they were gonna get it last year when a big TWEWY announcement was teased but nope, just an iPad release. Square Enix have struggled with finance and direction in the last few years, ignoring relative gold mines like Kingdom Hearts 3 while pumping out sequels to games people didn't respond well to in the first place. The World Ends With You 2 is another case of SE not giving the fans what they want.

How good would it be to see all of those fan's wishes come to fruition, not on the 3DS, but on the big screen with the help of the WiiU. It would retain the dual screen nature of the combat that was central to the first outing, but providing such a huge jump in resources that it could be whatever SE wanted it to be. I'm not holding out hope that this will happen, it makes too much sense for the modern Square Enix to consider it properly, but one can dream.

Those are just five franchises that I would love to see a sequel to on the next generation of consoles. There are sequels I'm pumped about already, Bayonetta 2 and Witcher 3 coming in pretty close to the top, but I thought I'd keep the list to unannounced games and see where it took me. Do you guys agree with my choices? Are there any you are desperately waiting for? Heck, I know we all can't wait for that Billy Hatcher 2: The Ominous Omelette announcement (Seriously, what the crap was that game?...)